The Nomadic People, wanderers of the Gobi Desert plains, were officially lost. They took a
risk, choosing to go further north, instead of heading to the east, and now they would pay for
their foolish choice.
The Nomads thought of their fate as a sign and therefor accepted it calmly. Slowly passing
from starvation and cold, the Nomads fought against cannibalistic thoughts. They also set their
wolves free, thinking if anyone could survive, it’d be the wolves.
No matter the weather, or the state their bodies were in, the Nomadic People continued their
climb over the next mountain, never stopping, stubborn until their deaths. With only a few left
living, the last Nomads breaths were uneven and ragged, each sending hot clouds into the icy air.
As the last Nomad standing, the woman looked up into the sky and sent out a short prayer
before falling back into the snow and becoming a corpse, lying beside her family and friends.
Matt wasn’t a bad person, he just wasn’t cut out for environmentalist work and being a ranger.
But he couldn’t express himself and tell others his hatred of the job he was forced to do, so he
sent them a loud and clear message, making them regret ever choosing him as an apprentice ranger.
Matt ripped the trees out, not caring about the desert’s life, or what the desert did to the land
outside it’s borders. He just wanted to escape his unwanted burden and the only way he could
think of was to get the rangers to hate him. Matt was selfish but he didn’t even care. Matt knew
about what was happening to the desert, desertification, they called it. But all it was to him was a
long, fancy word.
Ron woke with a white wolf snoring on his chest. First, he was utterly confused. Then the
feelings and memories of yesterday’s evening came flooding back to him. Oh, he thought. Love
was in his eyes when he looked at the she-wolf. Finally, he woke her gently and prepared some
food for their journey. Ron had to finish what he started when he first saw the wolves.
It’s bright, was the ranger’s first thought once he and his companion were out the door. He
glances at her, only to find her looking up at him. He held her gaze and decided her name. Shala.
He would name her Shala.
Matt anxiously stole a peek at his window and instantly regretted it.
Outside stood his mentor and a large, intimidating wolf. He knew he was barely good enough
to compare with his mentor at mastering nature and saving wildlife. But what Matt didn’t know,
was the reason behind it. Matt was uncaring and didn’t give it his best. Nature knew this, making
it impossible for Matt to master being a ranger.
Shala wanted to bark at her close companion. His pacing and muttering drove her nuts and
made her want to howl away her hearing. But instead, she sat patiently while her eyes followed
the ranger back and forth.
The ranger stood across Matt, a large gap separating them both.
“Why?” the ranger inquired, “Why did you do it?”
Matt sneered then answered his old mentor, “To get away from it all. I hate it. I was born to do
something else. The Gobi isn’t for me.”
“The Gobi is for everyone.”
And with that, the ranger stood back and watched as Shala jumped the gap and landed four
paws on Matt’s chest, knocking him to the ground. Underneath Shala, Matt clawed at the sand,
gasping for breath. Shala leaped off Matt at the very last moment, leaving Matt hurling down the
canyon into the river below.
The two watched as he exploded into the wide river, screaming his lungs out the whole time.
